Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uunet!island!rich From: rich@island.uu.net (Rich Fanning) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: Watt Hour Meters Message-ID: <1262@island.uu.net> Date: 8 Jan 90 21:54:51 GMT References: <25675@cup.portal.com> Reply-To: rich@island.uu.net (Rich Fanning) Distribution: usa Lines: 21 In article <25675@cup.portal.com> Dick@cup.portal.com (dick a wotiz) writes: >You probably won't want to build a meter that will be accurate enough >with an inductive load like a refrigerator. But I've seen surplus >real electric meters (like the one on the side of the house) Do the utility meters on the average house measure true watts or only current? I have always assumed they measured watts, but when I think of it now, why shouldn't the utility charge by the amp? It seems as if the utility charging for "amp-hours", rather than for watt-hours, would be in THEIR best interest. Utilities provide financial incentives for raising the power factor of the load of industrial companies. I have always assumed that the industries get charged for "amp-hours". Do household and industrial customers get metered differently in this regard? -- Rich Fanning | "Thinking is more interesting than {uunet,sun,well}!island!rich | knowing, but not so interesting as | looking" - Goethe